Richard Bandler

They were given free reign to test their ideas out on extremely vulnerable people.

Movies like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest captured the general consensus at the time that psych wards and institutions were essentially prisons.

When I asked this one early NLP guy who was involved in these experiments but who's now a licensed therapist if he thought what they were doing was, you know, a little unethical,

He was basically like, hey, at least we were trying something new instead of just giving up on these people.

Debra had her criticisms of Bandler and Grinder, but she clearly wasn't completely immune to the confidence they gave off.

Both Debra and her friend developed a crush on Bandler, and they made out with him together after one of their sessions.

It does seem like almost everyone in these therapy groups was somehow romantically entangled.

Debra, one of Bandler and Grinder's early guinea pigs, was down for the atmosphere for the most part, consenting adults and all.

She was looking forward to the group's 1974 Christmas party.

But this was the night it went way too far.

The night Debra walked away from Richard Bandler, John Grinder, and what would become NLP forever.

The party was just for the people in Bandler and Grinder's therapy clique.

and they had prepared an unusual gift for each guest.

Bandler and Grinder had Devereux's friend, who was a little cocky, chant, and when his mouth was open, they both pied him in the face.

He thought it was hilarious.

But when it was Debra's turn, they blindfolded her.

Bandler and Grinder stood on either side of Debra and began speaking simultaneously into both of her ears.

outside.

She felt them lift her about four feet above the ground.

Her legs were loosely bound and her arms were tied outstretched to something wooden.